5 Days without Daddy: Day 1

Brandon is in Dallas. He left this morning at some hour way before the sun rose. His flight left Chattanooga at 6:00am. UGH!

So here we are.... 5 Days without Daddy.

How are the girls handling it? Chandler was so distraught this morning that she completely forgot that swim lessons started today. Pretty much all I heard from the time she woke up until we were getting her swim suit on was, "Mommy, I miss daddy so, so, so, so much." and "Mommy, I really, really, really miss my daddy."

Putting her suit on reminded her and she seemed ok THEN just as we walked out the door...

C: "Mommy?"
J: "Yes Chan?"
C: "I really, really, really miss my daddy."
J: "I know Chan. Me too."
C: "Daddy is missing my swim lessons."
J: "I know baby, but he will be back before your lessons next week."
C: "Can he come and watch?"
J: "I don't know Chan. We'll just have to wait until he gets back and ask."
C: "Mommy?"
J: "Yes, Chan?"
C: "Can you take lots and lots of pictures and send them to daddy so he can see me being a good swimmer?"
J: "Of course."

These pictures are especially for daddy...

I apologize for the quality... does anyone know how to successfully take photos in an indoor pool area???

Chandler's little head barely above the water!
They put her in the "most advanced group"... I think it was basically because she had taken lessons before and she was very comfortable in the water.

Workin' hard!

You may notice she is not wearing her "swim bubble" from last year. I sent her with it on, but they switched her to another one that had less flotation boards on it. The one she wore last year had 4 and it is for beginners. Today she wore one with only 2... she has advanced since last June. :)
I asked her teacher if I should take 2 off of her's and she said, "No, only take 1 off. She was a little panicky in the water."
OF COURSE SHE WAS!! She has only been in the pool once this year and then you take away half of her flotation safety belt!!

Waiting patiently for her turn... we have come a LONG way since last summer!

Trying to swim on her back.
She knows how to swim on her back, but the teacher was trying to get her to do the proper arm motions... she has trouble with doing the full circle rotations for some reason.

This was our conversation after the lesson...

J: "Chan! You did a great job! I saw you out there in the deep end swimming without any help from your teacher."
C: "No mom. I didn't do a good job. My teacher told me I have to lax."
J: "Lax?"
C: "Yeah, she said I'm going to sink to the bottom if I don't lax."
J: "OH! Relax."
C: "Yeah, relax."
J: "Chan. She didn't say you were going to sink. She said, 'You aren't going to sink, but you have to relax.'"
C: "Oh! But I didn't do very good."
J: "Well, you still have 7 more lessons to practice relaxing."
C: "Ok."

After lessons Amy and I worked out while the girls played in the nursery.
Chandler's class made "Chia Heads". I need to figure out what in the world I'm supposed to do with that thing!

After working out we had lunch with Pastor Jonathan and Ms. Amy. Chandler rode to Chick-fil-A with Ms. Amy. Amy told me that Chandler told her she really, really, really misses her daddy. :(

After lunch we came home and laxed. :)
Riley napped. I sort of napped. Chandler watched a movie.

I had a meeting at the church tonight with the Children's Leadership Team. The girls went with me... meeting and my kids DO NOT MIX! :)

How is Riley handling Brandon being gone? I didn't think it was fazing her, but it is.
At lunch and at the meeting tonight she wanted Jonathan to hold her. I felt so bad... there he was trying to do his devotion to start the meeting and Riley is wiggling all over his lap, slapping the table, and making all kinds of crazy noises!

Now it's 10:30 and I'm going to go lay in my bed an stare at the ceiling....
Please pray that I will be able to get some sleep over the next 4 nights. I really don't sleep well when Brandon is gone.

We miss you daddy!